Workforce has been providing cost-effective and efficient health care support services to federal and commercial clients since 2009. Those services currently include: refractive eye clinic management; diagnostic medical sonographer services; and medical administrative support.
REFRACTIVE CLINIC MANAGEMENT
According to Air Force Policy, Active Duty and Reserve Component members are allowed to undergo refractive surgery (RS) procedures designed to reduce dependence on spectacles or contact lenses. To support this mission, Workforce Resources has staffed a refractive clinic manager, a refractive surgeon, and a staff of four refractive surgery technicians to operate the refractive surgery center at Malcolm Grow Medical Clinics and Surgery Center (MGMCSC) on Joint Base Andrews, in Morningside, MD. Our staff supports a special Photo-Refractive Keratectomy/Laser-In-Situ-Keratomileusis (PRK/LASIK) laser surgery clinic program for eligible beneficiaries at MGMCSC.
Our team manages patient scheduling and production, implements training and certification, and supervises day-to-day clinic operations. We prepare patients and perform as special surgical assistants in all types of ophthalmic surgery, particularly refractive laser surgery. Further, we perform examinations, provide diagnoses, treatments, and management of diseases and disorders of the visual system, the eye, and associated structures, as well as diagnosis of related systemic conditions utilizing refractive, pharmaceutical, and rehabilitative (low vision, contact lens, and binocular vision) procedures.
DIAGNOSTIC MEDICAL SONOGRAPHER
In order to support the eligible beneficiaries of the military health care system who present themselves to Tripler Army Medical Center (TAMC) for treatment, Workforce Resources has provided a Diagnostic Medical Sonographer to provide high quality diagnostic imaging services. Our sonographer performed a wide variety of complex ultrasound examinations of human subjects to aid in the diagnosis and treatment of disease or injury. Our sonographer selects, sets up, adjusts, and operates ultrasound equipment, as well as conducts examinations, adjusting technique and equipment to best present the medically significant aspects found. If unanticipated conditions or anomalies are discovered, the sonographer extends and modifies procedure to insure full and accurate information as to the findings and patient condition.
MEDICAL ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT
Our dedicated and motivated medical administrators have supported various hospitals, medical centers, and clinic. Our team members perform a variety of business operations and support services including receptionist and clerical duties associated with patient care treatment. Duties range from receiving telephone calls and visitors; ascertaining the nature of calls or visits then identifying and determining the information and urgency of the patient’s request. The medical administrators also apply clinic guidelines concerning release of patient information; refers patient to appropriate staff member; schedules patient appointments; verifies patient eligibility; and enforces policies relative to receiving care at their respective centers. In performing their daily duties they are also required to type letters and memos, handle mailings and fax information to appropriate departments within TAMC or to outside medical facilities.
Our employees are also trained on the Composite Healthcare Computer System, the military’s world-wide automated medical information system interface with the 40 plus external clinical and administrative systems. In addition, these employees are trained in the use of the Armed Forces Health Longitudinal Technology Application system contains the Medical Treatment Facility’s (MTF) appointment scheduling program, pharmacy, lab and radiology ordering system, is interlinked with other departments in the MTF, and contains the electronic medical records for MHS beneficiaries.
OTHER MEDICAL SERVICES
In addition to the services outlined above, Workforce has successfully supported our client agencies with other health-related services. These services have been provided in both the Federal and commercial space. Some services (medical record administration) were delivered on a long-term contract basis; others (Certified Nurse Midwife and Operating Room Scrub Tech) were provided on a short-term basis to ensure continuity of service delivery during personnel deployments.
CERTIFIED NURSE MIDWIFE
For the families and service members at Tripler Army Medical Center (TAMC), Workforce Resources provided a board-certified Nurse Midwife to tend to the clinics maternity needs. Our Nurse Midwife provided independent, preventive, therapeutic, and comprehensive obstetric and gynecologic care. Our member also provides advice and/or screens patients by telephone and in person to determine nature and urgency of their problems. They collaborate with Obstetricians and Gynecologists when caring for women with obstetric, gynecologic, and general medical complications in both the ambulatory and inpatient settings. Our nurse mid wife makes decisions regarding medical and nursing care of patients and directs care, co-manages, or refers as appropriate. They plan and coordinate care given with other professional providers and agencies involved in patient and family care.
OPERATING ROOM SCRUB TECHNICIAN
To service eligible beneficiaries of Tripler Army Medical Center (TAMC), Workforce Resources has staffed an Operating Room Scrub Technician to provide services for the Operating Room, Perioperative Services, and the Department of Surgery. Our technician provides assistance to the surgical team by performing scrub and other support services for major and minor surgical procedures. They use principles of aseptic techniques in preparing and maintaining instruments, supplies and equipment on the sterile field. Our technician also provides orientation and training to newly assigned personnel and students; explains operating room procedures and requirements; identifies and explains use of surgical instruments and equipment, sterilization techniques and aseptic procedures.
MEDICAL RECORD ADMINISTRATION
In addition, Workforce has experience in providing program management oversight and related personnel for the following services: medical record coding, auditing and quality assurance; health record analyses and assembly; provider training; billing submission and analysis; and program management. These services were provided to Walter Reed Army Medical Center (WRAMC), National Naval Medical Center (NNMC), Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (WRNMMC), Brooke Army Medical Center (BAMC), Pope Air Force Base (Pope), and the Dimensions Healthcare System.
MEDICAL RECORD CODING, BILLING AND AUDITING
Delivering quality healthcare depends on capturing accurate and timely medical data. Workforce Resources professionals fulfill this need as key players for our clients in the healthcare industry. Our medical coding experts are responsible for translating healthcare providers’ diagnostic and procedural phrases into coded form. They do this by reviewing and analyzing health records to identify relevant diagnoses and procedures for distinct patient illness and interacting with healthcare providers to ensure terms are translated correctly.
Our certified medical coders/auditors possess a thorough understanding of the health record’s content in order to find information to support or provide specificity for coding. Our team is trained in the anatomy and physiology of the human body and disease processes in order to understand the etiology, pathology, symptoms, signs, treatment modalities and prognosis of diseases and procedures to be coded. Our coders’ code, abstract, analyze and assemble medical record data and assign diagnoses and procedure codes for in-patient treatment records, in-patient rounds, ambulatory procedure visits, and out-patient clinical data. We work with our clients as part of their team to achieve the best quality patient care and accurate, timely billing and receivables/revenue generation.
The depth of our health management experience affords us a level of program and staffing management expertise that allows us to quickly move into our clients’ healthcare workplace and deliver competent and quality services immediately. Workforce has strong experience providing medical coding/auditing services on-site as well as remotely. We were intimately involved in the development, testing and implementation of the remote coding effort at WRAMC. Our outpatient coders have been coding records remotely since 2008 and the team began coding inpatient records remotely in 2010.
Workforce provided financial management support services in support of the Third Party Collection Program at WRNMMC. Our technicians review and submit impatient and outpatient claims, to include coordinating the performance and daily distribution of identification and collection of Other Health Insurance (OHI) patient information for all billable clinics that support Uniform Business Office (UBO) revenue generation. We process admissions and disposition information daily, referring inconsistencies and deficiencies to the Admissions and Dispositions Branch for corrections. We answer telephone inquiries regarding patient status, admission disposition, length of convalescence, and transfer status. We aggressively follow up with third-party payers on billed claim that are more than 30, 60, 90 and 120 days or more to ensure payment is received from insurance carriers in a timely manner. We also provided guidance to internal and external contacts and insurers regarding questions concerning patient medical claims.
HEALTH RECORD ASSEMBLY/ANALYSIS
Workforce Resources provides strong support to our clients in the area of health record assembly and analysis. We retrieve, assemble and analyze the medical records of in-patient units, patients discharged from the hospital, out-patient area and/or physician clinics. Medical records are retrieved and assembled in a specific order then analyzed for completeness and accuracy.
Our personnel supervised the security of the medical records at WRNMMC and worked to ensure the signature of all physicians on their operations reports. Our staff also retrieved charts from various clinics for processing and filing. We maintained an accurate count of all medical files for each medical discipline. We also reported to the medical director how many records were outstanding by physician in an effort to reduce the number of unsigned reports.
CLINICAL DOCUMENTATION AND TRAINING
Workforce had supported our clients and their managers/clinical staff in documentation practices and policies that demonstrate professional obligation, accountability and legal requirements to communicate patient health information and clinical interventions. This documentation may include written and electronic health records, audio and video tapes, e-mails, facsimiles, images (photographic and diagrams), observations charts, checklists, shift/management reports, incident reports and clinical anecdotal notes or personal reflections (held by the clinicians personally or any other type or form of documentation pertaining to the care provided). Our professionals can provide appropriate training in clinical documentation for our clients’ in-house team.